


Be Real

by princess_slash



Category: Catfish: The TV Show
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-29
Updated: 2015-12-29
Packaged: 2018-04-17 22:28:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,758
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4683668
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/princess_slash/pseuds/princess_slash
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Carmen Newsome is crushing hard on Nev Schulman from MTV's Catfish:the TV show. His dark eyes and infectious smile have her swept up in a storm of feelings. How would she ever get him to notice her since he's become a celebrity? She starts trying to get his attention on Twitter and it eventually works. But, will Nev date a fan and one he meets online at that?</p><p>The only problem is the deep friendship between Nev and Max.<br/> (This is not the typical Catfish fanfic where Nev and Max help a girl find out if her boyfriend is real and she falls in love with Nev. Also, Carmen is not a catfish.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi all,
> 
> Hopefully someone will enjoy this fic! I am obsessed with Nev..it's got to the point where I'm dreaming about him. He is definitely my type and I have the hugest crush. Carmen is similar to myself in some ways which is where this fic stems from. I obviously have a big thing for slash as well and there is a lot of good max/nev out there and i definitely ship them! I will probably try my hand at writing that soon. This is also posted on Wattpad and numerous other places because I crave feedback. I love this story and plan for it to be a longgggg one hopefully. I have a lot of inspiration for it. 
> 
> \--Blair

Nev Schulman from MTV's Catfish:the TV show took Carmen Newsome's world by storm when she caught a marathon on MTV one day. She watched the show before, but just as a way to fill time. The second time she watched it, she was going through a rough time. It intrigued her how people could create connections over several hundred miles through just talking. In a way, she understood perfectly because without the physical presence to make a connection all people had was their conversations. All Catfish episodes start out the same..the girl or guy in question talks about how they met their potential love and started off as friends. As the conversations got deeper and the connection developed, it turned from friendship to feelings of love. Sex eventually came into the picture as well which led to some dirty conversations. Those intense conversations fueled the feelings of lust which built up so much that one of the persons can't stand it anymore that they want to meet the person that is inciting these feelings.

The episodes where the person had indeed been catfished always gave Carmen mixed feelings. On one hand, she could understand why the person catfished someone. On the other hand, she could also side with the catfish-ee and wonder how someone could be so twisted to cultivate that deep of a connection with a false identity. To the catfishers, she wanted to help them improve their selves so they wouldn't have to impersonate other people. For the catfish-ees, she wanted to help them heal from the experience and not completely cross out making connections online. Carmen had always been a shy person and was able to be confident online where she made several friends. In real life, she had a small circle of friends due to her inability to get too deep with people. Romantically, she had a few relationships that she felt would lead to something long term, but didn't. She went through the phase of dating the ones without jobs or vehicles where she had to put in all the work. After being a meal ticket, she tried to date better. Cheating and a pregnancy scare put her off from dating for close to three years. Having a retail job propelled her out of her shell considerably. But, there were days where she still suffered from anxiety in certain situations.

The passion that kept her alive and pressing on was her career as a copy writer in advertising. She understood how to get certain target audiences to buy certain products. A copy writer puts together the slogans for products that become a major part of their brand. She attended the University of Alabama to receive her undergrad degree in Advertising. Currently, she commuted to Huntsville to intern for a firm to learn the ropes of copywriting. On the weekends, she worked at a pharmacy as a clerk to keep money in. Since she didn't make enough to move out yet, she lived with her parents in her rural hometown. After washing Catfish that one day, it sparked an interest not only in the subject matter, but an interest for the gorgeous host, Nev. She rented Catfish:the movie and was shocked by Nev's story. For one, she couldn't believe someone creative and in the movie business would even be in an online relationship. But, he was taken by Megan so the location didn't matter. Watching his smile whenever he talked to Megan/Angela on the phone for the first time sent her heart into a frenzy. The other moment that stuck with her was when he was laying in bed reading messages out loud between him and Angela. At first, it was casual conversation, but as it went on it grew heated. The things he talked about doing to her showed his passion and how intensely he felt for that "girl". When he smiled and then grew embarrassed about the dirty talk made Carmen's feelings run wild and take off.

Carmen wanted to be the one to make Nev smile so bright the way he did in the movie and even on the show. The first thing she did was follow him on Twitter and look up if he was single. She found out that he did have a serious relationship after the Megan/Angela fiasco but that it didn't last. The news of him being single excited her. In the back of her mind, she knew it was silly to have a crush on a celebrity that she would most likely not have a chance with. Watching the show and seeing Nev's pain and what he went through during the movie floored her. It also made her anxiety better watching the show and crushing on Nev. Wanting him made her want to come out of that social bubble she shrouded herself in. Especially since she watched the people of Catfish bettering themselves after their experiences. But, she figured Nev wouldn't consider being interested in a girl that he hadn't met in person because of what he'd been through. It also wouldn't be a bad thing if she could at least talk and be friends with him. The chances of him talking to her were slim as he probably received messages from many girls wanting to get at him. A gnawing sensation ate at her causing her to realize she needed to try to talk to him. If not only for her anxiety, but for the sake of she wanted to tell him she understood to the fullest how he felt and wanted to hug him.

As far as looks, Carmen stood at five foot nine inches with slight curves due to her half Latina ethnicity. Long light brown hair that weaved down into an ombre effect of blonde at the bottom hung past her C cup breasts. Toned legs and a little hips led to a decent butt on her frame. One of the most attractive parts about her were her naturally plump lips and green eyes. On Twitter, she went and changed her profile picture to one of her in a lower cut shirt with pretty make up and done up hair. Then she hash tagged a tweet about one of the new episodes talking about how deceitful people could be when dating online. Other people that watched the show favorited or re-tweeted her tweet, but no activity from Nev. She decided to wait until the new episode came on live and then try to come up with a tweet that would get her noticed. The only problem was it didn't come on for another four days.


	2. Chapter 1

There were a lot of articles online about how to get noticed by a celeb on Twitter. Most of them said the same thing was what Carmen found. Basically to get noticed you have to be unique in your tweets, time it right and don't spam. It sounded self explanatory and fairly easy, but there was liable to be a lot of other hot girls vying for Nev's attention. The first part of the process required tweeting the right hash tag and tagging the right people. Nerves took a hold of her as the new episode starting playing on TV. As soon as the camera panned onto Max and Nev's gorgeous face, her heart thumped in her chest.

The episode centered around a guy who thought he found the perfect girl. Her background checked out, but from Facebook it was obvious the girl in question was already dating another guy. Carmen's heart went out to the guy who believed he had that one person that made him feel better when everything else was shit. The tweet she posted read: "I am so sorry you believed the girl was the one you could count on. I hope you are in a better place now. No one should have to go through that #Catfish."

Carmen received follows from new people and several of her tweets were favorited and re-tweeted. About twenty minutes after the episode was over she received a DM saying "Hi, thanks for watching and tweeting through the whole show. It was a difficult ep to film since he took it hard finding out she was a catfish. It also brought out old feelings from my own experience. It's really refreshing to see someone be so compassionate towards the subject."

The profile picture of the sender was Nev. At first, she thought it was sent from a fan account. Upon further inspection, she assured herself it came from Nev Schulman's verified Twitter account. Her first moments were spent screaming. Holy fuck. Her plan to get Nev to talk to her actually worked. Happiness flooded through her at getting to talk to her crush. But, she still had to reply to him!

"Thank you so much for the DM! I love the show and also loved the movie about your own personal experience with this. I think it's so amazing that you can help people going through the same situation that caused you pain. I usually empathize with the people that have been catfished as I have been in several bad relationships. Watching the show actually staves off my own anxiety, watching people better themselves. It makes me feel better(:"

She worried about the DM being too lengthy but needed to express how much it meant to her that he responded. It floored her knowing out of all the tweets about the show, he chose to respond to hers. She couldn't believe the message was real. To remember the moment, she took a screenshot of the DM which seemed surreal. A few minutes later, she received another DM.

"I'm glad the show has had a positive effect on you and has helped with your anxiety. It's cool that you were so affected by what I went through. I would love to talk to you more in depth about this. Here's a link to my personal Facebook page. If you add, send me a message letting me know who you are. "

That last message took her by surprise..he wanted to keep talking to her. The feeling was unbelievable and she couldn't focus on anything else. Excitedly, she clicked the link and saw Nev's personal page with only a few hundred friends (presumably real life friends). His profile was set so private so the only info that showed were his profile pic and number of friends. She found the add button and then found him on Messenger, typing her name and letting him know she sent him a friend request. While she waited for him to accept, she cleaned the kitchen ridding it of the meal she cooked. A little ding sounded from her iPhone notifying her of a Facebook message. A plate clattered as she dropped it in the sink grabbing her phone.

"Hey Carmen. I'm exhausted so is it okay if maybe skype you tomorrow? Obviously I'm in New York. Where are you from?"

Gorgeous Nev wanted to skype with her. The thought brought her nerves back along with happiness. She typed back, "I'm in Alabama so I'm an hour behind you. Anytime after 6 your time is good for me. I work days..looking forward to talking to you face to face though:) my skype name is carnew27."

Since she knew she'd be chatting with Nev in the flesh, she needed to make sure she wore a really cute outfit to work. Outfit ideas flooded her mind as she went scrolling through Nev's Facebook. It was weird seeing statuses and pictures from his everyday life that didn't involve Catfish. A part of her felt privileged that he was letting her see his life when he didn't know her yet. Then again, he must have google imaged her Twitter pics before even talking to her. That was totally understandable after what he went through. She was excited to show him she wasn't a catfish and that she was genuine. To look in his dark eyes and see that smile would make her year.

While she zoned out her phone lit up with a Skype and Facebook notification. Nev added her as a contact on Skype and sent her a message. "Goodnight Carmen:)"

She responded goodnight back and went to get ready for bed.

The next morning, she awoke to a bright sunny day. Nerves came back as she relived last night. Checking her phone, there was a text from her mom letting her know that she and her father decided to stay an extra night on their vacation. The other notifications were from Twitter and Instagram. The bottom of the list was a random notification telling her Nev updated his status. Curious, she tapped it and was led to a status saying, "Heading to the office..hoping the day passes by fast(;"

Could that be about her or him just wanting to get home quick? Not too worried, she hit like and threw her phone on the bed. An hour later, she styled her hair in waves, applied makeup and dressed in a black skirt suit with a white flowy top that and a key hole to show off an appropriate amount of cleavage. To top it off, a black pair of Louboutins covered her feet. It was the only pair she owned that came as a graduation gift from her parents. After she scanned the house for what she needed for work, she went outside to her black Kia coupe. Throwing her satchel and laptop into the passenger seat she slid into her seat. For the long commute, she turned on pne of her R&B playlists forgoing the radio. About twenty minutes into the drive, her phone lit up with a Facebook message with Nev's face in the bubble saying, "hope you have a great day:)".

A huge smile stretched across her face as she read. The same smile adorned her face as she walked into her work, Kearn and Walker Advertising.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter: skype with Nev! Hopefully I am capturing Nev's voice right as far as the story and how I portray him. Please leave Feedback.. It would be so much easier to update if I knew I had somebody interested in it! I tried to break up the Fb and twitter messages to wear it wouldn't be confusing to read. Anytime there's a message between them it will be in quotes just like real dialogue.


	3. Chapter 2

The building lay nestled in the center of the city with 5 floors. Carmen’s office was on the third floor with the other employees in the creative department. Drew Sax-Smith played the role of secretary for all of the creatives. The agency couldn’t afford to give every creative their own secretary. Only the upper echelon warranted separate secretaries. Drew stood at 6 feet with a lanky frame. Black hair and clear green eyes awarded him the title of office hottie. Unfortunately for the women, word was that Drew was the plaything of one of the male senior account executives. 

All the employees of Kearn and Walker were required to sign a confidentiality agreement regarding office secrets. One clause designated that any inter office romantic relationships were protected by the agreement. Even though nearly all the employees knew about the affair, the wife remained oblivious. Secrets stayed secrets at Kearn and Walker. Carmen meshed well with the creatives and Drew because she remained non judgmental which made her easy to work with. Personally, Drew and his affair didn’t bother him. To her, it looked as if he was in love. For whatever reason, the boss had no desire to let the world know his plaything came with a cock and balls. It wasn’t up to her to judge someone else’s situation when she didn’t want someone judging her. 

Speaking of Drew, she smiled at him as she walked past his desk to get to her office. The office had one of the only windows on the whole floor. It was small, but gave her a place to look out when she needed inspiration. She logged onto her work computer and began working on emails.   
The work day passed by fairly quick as she had a lot of paperwork to complete. Nev hadn’t contacted her apart from the one message he sent that morning. If he was even a third as busy as she was then she understood completely. He stayed in the back of her mind, but she didn’t have time to think of him all day. There was pep in her step throughout the day that made her work easier. At four; she rushed out of her office not wanting to be stopped by anyone. Once she found the perfect song on her playlist, she commuted home. By the time she pulled in her driveway, twenty minutes was all she had to get ready before she called. 

Once she walked in the house, she threw off her suit jacket and set up her laptop at the kitchen table. Next, she touched up her hair and makeup, her heartbeat pounding in her ears. For a second, she calmed down realizing she told him to call anytime after 6 which meant it could be a while before he even called. As she started to relax, her lap top started dinging. She rushed over to her chair, sitting down and clicking on the answer button. The background behind Nev was his living room with a black sofa and a painting on the wall above it. Nev himself appeared in a black button down with a couple buttons undone. His dark hair was slightly spiked and the sight of his sultry eyes and amazing smile rendered her speechless. 

“Hi, Carmen. It’s nice to meet you,” his voice came through the speakers snapping her out of her trance.

“Hey Nev. It’s so nice to meet you too. I’m just star struck right now. I’ve been a fan for a while,” she settled on saying, feeling her heart slow. 

“Aw, I’m no A-lister like Brad Pitt or anything. I don’t usually skype with fans, but your tweets got a fair amount of attention really directing the conversation. Normally, Max or I will monitor the tweets to talk to some fans and interact with them. You had a unique point of view which attracted my attention.”

Unique…so her research paid off tremendously in getting her noticed. 

“Thanks! That was my first time tweeting during the show, but I’ve watched it for a while.”

“Did the movie turn you on to watching the show or vice versa?” he asked, rubbing his jaw.

“I rented the movie after I watched the show. I wanted to get some background. Plus, you and Max work so well together!”

“Honestly, I had no idea while talking to Abby/Angela that it was going to end badly. But, my brother felt there was a story there and sure enough it did end badly. This kind of thing happens a lot more than what I initially realized. But, then I started getting contacted by so many people with the same issue. Unfortunately, it’s easier for teens to get catfished since they don’t realize the dangers. Hopefully, we’ve educated a lot of people on how to deal with this.”

“I think it’s cutting down on the amount of catfishing going on since the show came out. I’ve used dating websites but thankfully I met the person I was talking to. But, they either ended up not being what I thought or just wanted a hook up. There was one time I was on POF talking to a gorgeous guy who said he worked maybe an hour away from where I live. We texted and he sent me a lot of pics. I called a friend and told her about it because I was suspicious. So, we google image searched the pictures and found that they belonged to a Russian model. I told him I knew those weren’t his actual pictures and never heard from him again. So, Catfish helped me out of potentially bad situation. But, yeah I’m always careful anytime I talk to people online. Currently, I am not on any sites or looking as I have been focused on my career.”

“That damn POF has nothing but catfish on it. I’m glad you found out before you got invested in him. Max and I need to have a talk with these dating sites about verifying their members a little bit better. You’re obviously really pretty so I’m surprised you even went online.”

A light blush tinged her cheeks as she replied, “Thanks, it was just easier to talk to people that way. I’ve always been shy and have a touch of anxiety. But, I can say the same thing about you. You’re gorgeous and I didn’t expect you to be online back then.”

“Thank you, you’re sweet. Keep in mind that at the time I wasn’t famous and I originally was supposed to be talking to a little girl. So, I had no idea it would lead to a relationship. I believe everything happens for a reason if that hadn’t happened I wouldn’t be here doing Catfish. It had a positive outcome.”

“Turn them lemons into lemonade!” she enthused.

“You’re definitely from Alabama, but it’s cute. That’s why I’m a believer in Skype. It blows my mind how some people come on the show and never thought to skype with their partner.”

“Same here, especially when it’s free and you can do it on your phone now. I’m really glad you skyped me! It’s made my night,” she said smiling at him.

“If you’re okay with it, this doesn’t have to be the last time we talk. I know we’re kinda far away but I’m a traveler. What do you do for work?”

“Yeah, that sounds good. I am a copy writer for an advertising agency in Huntsville. It’s an entry level position, but I’m trying to work my way up. I just graduated from U of A. I love it though; writing’s my thing. “

“Oh, so that’s why your tweets were so good! That’s really cool though. As you know, Catfish is on right now. I have yet to be told a date for filming the new season. Right now, I’m working at my brother’s production company. Max is enjoying the time off with his wife I’m sure.”

“Aw, you should add Max to a call with us one day. I’d love to meet him. The new season will be great I already know.”

“You’re way too sweet. I enjoyed this but I’ve got a few calls to make. But, I can facebook message you if you’re not gonna be busy?”

“Yeah, you can. I enjoyed it too.”

“Alright, talk to you soon, Carmen,” he said with a slight wave and a smile.

“Bye Nevvvv,” she replied, stretching out his name on purpose. Then she shut the screen before Nev could laugh at her for being goofy. 

“That was so cute how you said my name just then(;” he wrote on Messenger. 

Her heart raced, still not believing that he didn’t talk to her as a typical fan. He was interested in talking to her on the regular. As for messaging him back, she decided she needed to play hard to get. There was no way he was gonna think she sat by her phone waiting for every message. A bubble bath with a good book sounded like a good way for her to come up with what to say. Towards the end of her bath, she received another message from him. 

“Can I call you on the phone?”

Damn it worked! He wanted her number to call her since she neglected to answer him. The only question remained should she stay in the bubble bath or get out?


	4. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay y'all! This story took a sharp turn that I wasn't expecting. I wanted to write a separate story about Nev and Max, but it worked itself into this one. The story's going to have a different dynamic now with there being a relationship between the three of them. There is one half of the chapter written in Nev's point of view. Hopefully I will do Max's point of view pretty soon. I don't even know how well this is going to go over but I like it! I think it's different and gives the slash to the ppl who want that and it gives het to whoever wants that. Something for everyone.
> 
> Taking a lot of creative license with this.. i obviously don't no anything about Pri and Max's real life marriage. I don't know if it would ever end in divorce. So, this all just what I came up with in my mind. I'm not saying they will divorce and I do not claim that this has ever happened. Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction and I do not own Nev, Max or Pri. Situations are made up.
> 
> With that being said, I hope you enjoy! 
> 
> Recommended listening: "Wicked Games" by the Weeknd

Grabbing her towel, she dried her hands and typed a short message including her phone number. The tub felt a hundred degrees hotter than it did when she first got in. She decided she was comfortable and there was no need to move to take a phone call. A couple of minutes later, her phone lit up with a New York phone number. She answered the call excitedly, “Hello?”

“Hey, Carmen. What’s up?” 

“Hi, Nev. I’m having a bubble bath at the moment.

“That sounds relaxing. I’m lounging in bed. I was going to leave you alone until tomorrow. But, I couldn’t wait to talk to you.”

She blushed and held onto the phone tighter. 

“Aw, I could’ve waited. But, I’m glad you called. Did you get your phone calls made?” she asked.

“Yes for the most part. It wasn’t good news though. I missed a call from Max while we were skyping and when I called him back he was broken up emotionally. When he came home, Pris-his wife, told him it wasn’t working between them anymore. She wanted to pursue her career, tired of playing second fiddle to his. I had no idea because he hadn’t called me up until today. I chalked it up to him being busy with her. His welcome home gift from her was divorce papers.

However, she is trying to be nice to him and make it a smooth process. Luckily, there was a prenup. The bad part is she wants their house in LA. Which isn’t really fair because he doesn’t get anything for consolation. He’s put a lot of his stuff in storage already. I told him to get a flight out tomorrow and come stay with me for now. That’s my best friend and she blindsided him so I’m not happy with her ass. She called me once, but I ignored it,” fumed Nev, going from sad to angry at the end of his monologue. 

“Wow, I am so sorry, Nev. I can’t imagine how he feels. That’s pretty shitty..she could’ve talked to him beforehand to see if they could’ve worked it out. Instead she dropped it on him all at once. I’m sad for him; he doesn’t deserve that,” sympathized Carmen, stunned at what Nev told her. 

“With him being gone a lot…it takes a strong person to be able to deal with that. I think she wants someone she can see every day that has a regular job. It wasn’t working anymore and I get that. But, he’s the last person in the world that deserves it. I know that’s not the only issue they have. There’s more to it than that. If he’s not too broke up when he gets here we could skype you. I’d do anything for him.”

The passion in his tone as he said that last sentence grabbed her attention. He’s always had a deep connection with Max, but how he sounded just then resembled maybe more than friendship. She dismissed the thought as her being crazy.

“If he’s up to it…then yeah. I’m sure he wants to be left alone to deal with his feelings.”

“That’s a definite possibility or he might welcome a distraction. I know I need one..heavy stuff. So, you’re in the tub?” he questioned, his voice changing to a lower pitch. 

“Yeah, I wanted to relax. I do hope he’s gonna be okay.”

It still shocked her that Pri, who seemed to have a solid relationship with, wanted to leave him. 

“Let me worry about Max. You don’t need to worry about him. So, Lavender or vanilla?”

That little bit of authority in his voice rushed straight down between her legs. 

“It was lavender, but most of the bubbles are gone now. I’ve been in here a while, reading.”

“I imagine that’s a sight for sore eyes. From what I could tell, you have a beautiful body. Are you Latina at all?” 

She blushed, knowing he was looking at her boobs while they skyped. “My mother is and my father’s white.”

“Ah, I see. I need to get me some of that Latina love. What’s your middle name?” 

“It’s Francesca which is also my mother’s first name. My father’s name is Tyler which is so plain compared to our names.”

“Carmen Francesca…that’s so sexy. Way sexier than Yaniv.”

“I don’t know..Nev’s pretty sexy too.”

“Mm, well I better stop before the conversation goes to a place it doesn’t need to go yet. I’m definitely attracted to you…making it hard for me to lay here.”  
The air went out of her lungs..Nev admitted his attraction to her. 

“Good to know. I’ve developed quite a crush on you so obviously I’m attracted to you.”

“Carmen, I can’t go there tonight. You make me want to which is crazy since I haven’t met you yet. I’m glad I reached out to you. Shit, Max is calling me. I need to check on him. I’ll text you later, okay love?” he slipped the term of endearment in at the end.

She still caught it and her whole face was red at this point. “Sounds good. I’ll talk to you later.” Ready to get out of the tub, she ended the call. 

 

Nev

Carmen hung up and he switched the call over to Max. 

“Hello?” Asked Nev, preparing himself for whateve streams of emotions he’d have to deal with. 

“Neeeeeeev, I’m at a god damn hotel and ordered a bottle of liquor. She walked in our house with some fucking pretty boy she claimed was a friend. He’s probably been her fuck toy since I’ve been on the road. Fucking bitch!” he screamed, a loud clatter echoing on the other side of the room.

“Whoa Max. It is shitty that she brought a guy to your house. But, he really may have been a friend. I don’t think she’d cheat on you man. If she’s fucking him now it’s okay because you’re getting divorced.”

“How do you all of a sudden not love someone anymore though? Divorced my ass…maybe in her mind, but I didn’t find out until I came home.”

“Love’s a fickle thing, She did love you before. For some reason, she made the choice it wasn’t what she wanted. Which is complete bullshit to me. The worst thing you can do is let her see how fucked up this has made you. If you let this drive you into self-destruct mode it’s gonna destroy you worse. How much have you drank out of the bottle?”

“Not even half of it. I want to throw this mother fucking wedding ring down the sink.”

“If it would make you feel better, do it. But I’m not letting you break down Max. Do you hear me? It’s not going to happen. I love you and that will never change. Put the bottle down and drink some water. I’m gonna get you through this. You won’t be alone.”

It was excruciating to have to have this heavy of a conversation when he was horny. Carmen and the image of her sweet Latina ass and tits drove him to full mast. He meant every word he said to max. It killed him to see him hurt. His dick didn’t understand that. 

“Fine. I don’t know what I’d do without you. I guess I don’t need to be flying with a hangover. It wasn’t making me feel that much better. I love you too, Nev. I’ll be glad to see you tomorrow,” he belched, gulping down water. 

Nev concluded he was calmer and pulled down his briefs, wrapping his hand around his hard length. He knew it was wrong, especially with Max being in such a state. 

“You’ll be far away and shouldn’t feel as bad. Ohhhhh,” he hissed between gritted teeth rubbing his thumb over the head. 

“Why does it sound like you’re jacking off?” questioned Max in a confused tone.

“Probably because I am,” he replied, not stopping the assault on his dick. 

“Well that’s fucking great. I came home thinking I was going to get I miss you sex and got a divorce instead.”

“Christ, Max. Please don’t get all sad on me. Look, I met a fan of ours, Carmen. We skyped an have talked a little bit. She’s from Alabama but her voice drives me crazy. Her tits are big too..fucking beautiful. You should get off too..I know you need it.” With all the blood rushing to his dick, he wasn’t thinking straight. He and Max jacking off sounded perfectly normal to he and his dick. 

“I have no idea why I’m going along with this. Yeah she does sound hot and obviously not a catfish. I’m more of an ass guy myself.”

That last statement raised Nev’s dick a little bit higher. 

“Fuckkkkkk, Max,” he moaned, squeezing harder.

“God, you’re right. I’ve got so much tension built up and need to release it. Plus I’m a little drunk. But you have a nice ass.”

“It’s okay, Maxie. Start touching it and get it hard for me. Rub it through your shorts until it’s painfully hard and then take them off. Grip your balls with the other hand. Come on, Maxxxx,” directed Nev, not knowing where the words came from. All he knew was that they both needed to come. 

“Where the fuck did you learn to talk like that? I’m already hard and stroking. Fuck I can’t believe I’m doing this Nev.”

“That’s right just let it go. Stop thinking and just do it.”

Nev’s hand tirelessly worked his shaft to the thoughts of Carmen and Max. The heated pressure build up and the edge loomed closer. The noises and moans falling out of Max’s mouth brought his orgasm to a head.

“Fuck I’m coming-ugh! Max,” he growled, his head falling back on the pillows.

“Shit, Nev.. here it comes.” Max’s breathing grew more erratic as he let out a low pitched moan. For a few seconds, Nev closed his eyes not knowing what to say for his unexpected behavior. He just hoped Max felt better.

“That was something…I don’t feel as shitty now. Doubt I’d do that with anyone else,” came Max’s voice breaking into his thoughts. 

Max seemed to have chalked it up to some weird best friend tactic of helping him. Nev had no explanation except that his dick possessed a mind of its own. 

“Good, that was the point. Now you’ve had your orgasm. Time to stop letting the bitch make you feel bitter.”

“Alright, man. I’ll see you in the morning and thanks.”

Nev smiled and disconnected the call, thankful that Max was getting back to normal. 

 

Carmen laid in bed on her phone not being able to get over the way Nev talked about Max. The pure protection and love in his tone put a very strange emotion in her mind. Was there a deeper connection between the two than she originally thought? Upon doing her research, she found that most fans shipped the two together. Rather than turning her off of them, it turned her on to them more.


	5. Chapter 4 Part 1

Max

The next morning, Max woke up in his hotel room with a slight hang over. All of his important belongings were stuffed into two big suit cases. His camera equipment and laptop were in his carry on. How could he live without his wife? The other half of him that supported him emotionally, physically and so much in his career that she wanted to pursue her own interests without him. It would be different living life without her by his side. At one point, he did everything he could to make her happy. But, if she asked him to choose between her and Nev he wasn’t so sure he’d choose her. 

It didn’t feel like dying being without her. The thought of being without Nev however felt like dying. His whole world went black. Knowing he was going to see Nev and stay with him, forced him to believe he’d get through this divorce. Seeing Nev would jumpstart his healing process. This thought propelled him out of bed to get ready for his flight.

 

x X x

A few hours later, he exited the plane wishing the people in front of him would hurry. Once he reached the end of the hallway, that killer smile and bright brown eyes came into view. His heart jumped in his throat, taking his breath away as Nev’s arms enveloped him. The only physical contact he’d had in days.. swept some of that pain away. Taking in the moment, he wrapped his free arm around Nev, letting his eyes close. 

“I’m sorry man,” he whispered.

“Not your fault.” He opened his eyes and released Nev, starting to walk towards baggage claim. 

“I’m glad to have you here. This is gonna be good for both of us. Do you wanna grab breakfast?” 

“I’d be fine with hitting the Starbucks drive through. I’m a little tired. The time difference is fucking with me,” replied Max, digging around in his pocket for his baggage ticket. 

“Sounds good, you can put your stuff in the guest room. But, you don’t have to sleep there.. the couch and my bed are open.”

Nev smiled and Max’s heart raced, wondering if he was implying something. “Good to know, thanks. I tried to leave stuff I don’t use often in storage,” he said, deciding not to comment on the sleeping arrangement.

For now, he opted not to think of what last night meant either. 

“So, what did you end up doing with your wedding ring?”

Max walked up to the line of bags, watching for either one of his. He remembered threatening to throw it down the sink. “Um, well I talked to my mom about it. She said it’s normal for the bride to keep their ring. If Pri has a daughter she might give it to her. What the hell would I do with a bridal ring anyway? So I’m fine with that. I was pissed when I said that. Like I didn’t want to pawn it or anything else crazy and then regret it. So, I shoved it into my suitcase. I’ll never wear it again that’s for sure.”  
It didn’t hurt him as much as he thought it would to talk about it. 

“That sounds like a good plan, buddy. Isn’t that one of you bags right there?” asked Nev, jumping up to look at the tag. 

“Yeah and I have another one somewhere.”

Nev lifted the one off and kept his hand on the handle. After a minute or two of watching the belt, he spotted his second bag. 

“Finally,” he said, yanking it off and situating his other stuff. 

“I parked in the short term parking,” stated Nev, reaching and grabbing the carryon from Max. 

Not seeing the need to argue, he followed him to where he was parked. It was almost funny to see Nev loaded down with his bags. Now that Max looked closer, it did seem as if Nev’s arms were bigger. There was more muscle and a tad definition. He tore his eyes away, not wanting to get caught checking out his best friend. That didn’t mean he wanted anyone else to check him out though. Before he knew it, they arrived at Nev’s car. 

Nev unlocked it and loaded up the bags himself, pushing Max to get in the car. Max wasn’t sure where the extra attention from Nev came from. All he knew was it made his heart feel better. Nev drove to a Starbucks close to the airport. Once they ordered their coffee and sandwhiches, Max turned his phone back on. A text from his mom asking if he made it and a text from Pri were the only notifications he had. Not wanting to ruin his day, he ignored her text, texting his mom instead.

“You know she’s been texting and calling me right? Said she wants to remain friends and that you two not working out shouldn’t affect that. What she fails to realize is you’ve been my friend way before you met her. You’re my boy.” Nev stared at him with so much intensity, he couldn’t look away. 

“I know. Otherwise you wouldn’t be here with me right now. Let’s quit talking about her,” he said with finality in his tone. 

Nev nodded and accepted their order from the barista. The rest of the ride was silent. Max hoped Nev’s feelings weren’t hurt by him saying that. It grew to be a topic he wanted to forget. 

“Hey Nev. You know I’m not mad at you right? She’s old news and hearing her name reminds me how she’s got the house. It’s a bit of a sore spot.”

“I don’t want you to worry about that. You’re still the same silver fox. I’m thrilled to have you with me. It’s gonna be nice having company.” He grabbed Max’s hand and squeezed it, before dropping it to shift gears. 

The car was parked and they got out, grabbing bags. Luckily, the apartment building had an elevator. The trek into the building went smooth. Max’s bags were situated in the guest room leaving him ready to sleep. 

“Take my bed. I’m going into the office for a few hours. We’ll have dinner when I get back.”

Nev ushered him into his room and hugged him one more time. 

“Alright I’ll be here.”

Nev smiled and left his room, closing the door. Max tugged his shirt over his head, before getting into bed. He let his senses get lost in the smell of Nev’s cologne. The scent comforted him and he drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next part.. we will get back to Carmen to see what she's up to. I would love any kind of comments from you! There have been so many good nev/max stories on here and hopefully I'm writing it just as well.. and I hope I don't freak anyone out with this whole threesome thing I've got going. I spent my whole day off writing this so hopefully it's fine! --Blair


	6. Chapter 4 Part 2

The next morning, following the night she talked to Nev on the phone, Carmen found herself more interested in him than ever. Those stories got the wheels turning in her mind wondering if there really could be anything between Nev and Max. The possibility excited her especially since Max was getting divorced. It should bring a feeling of worry that whatever she had with Nev would take a backseat to Max. Somehow she felt that wouldn't be the case. 

For once, she wasn't focused on a relationship. It took a while for her to learn how to be single. Now that she loved her life, she wasn't in any hurry to give it up. It still amazed her that she managed to talk to Nev. After crushing on him so long. It was like a dream come true. Which was why it didn't bother her when Nev failed to contact her at all that night or morning. She knew Max's flight was due in and that Nev would help him settle in. It didn't stop her from wondering about Max's emotional state. She shook the thoughts away and began to get ready for work.

The weather switched back from warm to almost cool fall days. Today it erred on the warm side. She dressed in a yellow dress with white wedges and minimal jewelry. After filling up a travel mug with coffee, she commuted to work. The day passed slow when she worked alone in her office. The upper management and clients brought a sense of nervousness when she dealt with them. When it came to working with the other creatives, she flourished. The unspoken thought was a busy work day would keep her mind off of Nev and Max. 

As she pulled into her usual parking spot, she pledged to not spare another thought to them. When she reached her office and settled in, there was a knock at the door. 

"Come in," she called looking up from her laptop.

Drew breezed in with a sheet of paper in hand, taking a seat in front of her desk. "I received a call from Mr. Kearn that he wants to have a department meeting with us. A lunch meeting to be exact. We will be in the conference room on the top floor. I was instructed to let everyone know to be prepared. I'll be there of course to take the notes."

"I hope we're not in trouble." It was the first thought to spring to her mind, that a meeting with the big boss couldn't be anything good. 

"All the departments are having to meet. It sounds like we may have some new clients; they want to get everyone on the same page. Finally, we will be able to eat that good food they always have catered."

"Oh I see. That's right. We will get to eat decent for once. I'm glad no one's in trouble. It's always a worry when you hear the boss wants to have a meeting."

"Hey I'm the same way. The hardest part for me is to sit there and stare at Adam and pretend I don't love him."

It was strange to see vulnerability in place of his usual confidence. “Wow. So you’re saying it’s become more than sex?” she asked, eyebrows raised. 

“Really good sex. But, yeah I love the person he is. Haven’t told him how I feel yet. I’m afraid for obvious reasons.”

“I would hold off on laying it all out on the table like that until you can gauge where he stands with everything.”

“I didn’t mean to come in and blurt all that out. But, you’re the most real person here. So, if you ever need someone to talk to or need anything... let me know.”

“Thanks, Drew. That’s sweet of you.” 

His sincerity impressed her, realizing she was glad to be known as real and not fake.   
“I better run and inform everyone else about the meeting.” His confidence fixed back into place as he smiled and rushed out of her office.

X x X

The food catered at the lunch meeting was phenomenal. Filet mignon, salmon and chicken were the entrees. Liquor was available with a two drink maximum. Carmen declined the liquor, opting for the sweet tea. The account exec was present along with Kearn and Walker. Drew sat beside her and it allowed her to watch the interaction between him and Adam. Adam’s eyes cut over to Drew every few minutes as if making sure he was still in the room. The meeting was to discuss a potential high profile client and what would be expected from the creative team. Kearn and Walker desperately wanted the client. 

They expected everyone to not sleep or breathe anything else until they signed the contract. She was excited and grateful for the distraction as it gave her something to work toward. At the end of the meeting, everyone packed up their notes to head back to work. She watched Adam with his head bent low to Drew speaking in his ear. By the look on his face, she could tell it was something dirty. She blushed profusely, realizing she was way too interested in male/male interaction. The rest of the day she spent trying to solve the puzzle of how she was so interested. It was a new layer to herself she never knew existed under the surface. The only way she could find to compare it was to a guy’s love of lesbian fantasies. 

The problem lay in finding a guy that would indulge in her fantasy. It wouldn’t be fair to bring a girl in and not a guy. But, she had no interest in girls. To make a threesome work, all three parties needed to be digging it. A three way attraction. It seemed almost forbidden which appealed to her inner freak. The thoughts swirling in her head flushed her face completely. It was a wonder she absorbed anything in the meeting since she watched Drew and Adam the whole time. She wasn’t blatantly staring so she hoped no one noticed. 

The clock struck five and it was time to go home. She rose out of her seat and packed up all her personal belongings as well as her laptop. A knock came at the door and she almost fell right back into her seat. Adam, the gorgeous older account exec was standing in her doorway. Shit. What was he doing in her office?

“Mr. Kingston, how can I help you?” she asked, moving to take his coat. 

“Oh it’s alright, Carmen. Have a seat, I just wanted to talk to you,” he replied, coming in and shutting the door behind him. 

She took a deep breath and sank down back in her seat. “Yes, sir. Is everything alright?”

He placed his coat and bag on the arm of the chair in front of her desk, taking a seat. “Everything’s fine, you can relax. I wanted to tell you that I notice what a good job you are doing here at the company. It seems you’re on your way to becoming a manager or even the creative director. But, I’ve also noticed how interested you seem to be in Drew and I. Don’t try to deny anything. Everyone knows what’s going on with him and I. I also know that for some reason you’re intrigued.” 

“There’s a confidentiality clause so you don’t have to worry about me telling anyone. I wouldn’t do that anyway since it’s not my business. Hopefully, you’re not implying that I can’t move up if I don’t keep quiet. I’ve worked my ass off and have no intention of letting someone else’s affair ruin my career. Will you grant me a request, Mr. Kingston?” she asked, breathless from her little tirade. 

It sounded as Mr. Kingston thought she’d blab about his thing with Drew. She didn’t want to be bribed into a new job. The only right way was to earn the job based on her own merit. So, she felt she had to defend herself. 

“What is that, Carmen? I will surely grant it since you so eloquently told me what I already knew,” he replied, regarding her with his blue eyes. 

“Please, don’t hurt Drew. He’s one of the few nice people in the office who isn’t willing to cut someone’s throat over a job. I’ll admit I was intrigued by what you two have going on. You seem to be enthralled with each other.” The words spilled out and she couldn’t explain why she was begging on Drew’s behalf.

Adam’s blue eyes softened and he stared at her with surprise. “Drew means a lot to me despite what others think. Just because I had a couple other flings that didn’t last doesn’t mean I don’t care for him. I appreciate your boldness and honesty. Drew seems to be fond of you as well. Maybe one day all of us can get together after hours.” 

He grabbed his coat and bag, standing up. As she moved to stand, he placed a hand on her shoulder causing her to sit back down. 

“That is an offer...will become null and void if you speak of this to anyone. I’m hoping you do not. Have a good night, Carmen.” He leaned in, moving his hand over her collar bone area then pulling away. With a killer smile, he departed her office. 

She was speechless and had no idea what to make of what just happened. Did Adam, Mr. Kingston, seriously just offer her a place in between him and Drew? More than likely it was a joke or meant to be a one-time thing. Did she really want that to happen? Especially with whatever was going on between her and Nev.. For now, she knew she didn’t want anything to do with Adam. Plus, how did Adam know Drew would be okay with it? The questions remained unanswered but she knew she wanted to see where things went with Nev and Max. For now, she put it out of her mind. 

By the time she left work, she couldn’t turn her focus from male/male relationships. The only thing that stopped her thoughts was the sight of her dad’s truck in the driveway.

X x X

Seeing her parents, provided her with an ample distraction. For dinner, she helped her mom prepare a chicken paella. They talked all about their trip and even had plans to return the next time Carmen’s dad could get away. By the time the kitchen was cleaned and she laid out what she needed for work the next day, exhaustion set in. As she laid her head on her pillow, her phone buzzed. Reaching for her phone, she saw it was a pic message from Nev. It was of Max eating dinner, but knowing the camera was on him. Her heart beat picked up as she imagined Nev cooking for Max. She replied back: aw so cute. 

Seconds later a reply cam in: not as cute as you are, baby. So many feelings hit her at once. She decided to say goodnight. Nev promised to call her at some point the next day. Another hope she had was that she’d get to talk to Max. An attraction was starting to form for Max as she wanted to take all the pain from his divorce away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Lord I am so sorry everyone! I went out of town for a job and it was like 90 hours a week. So I had no time to write. Im kind of inlove with the idea of Drew and Adam so the interaction with Carmen and Adam just popped into my head. I thought it would be a nice little side story. Hopefully, you liked it! Please drop a comment and let me know your thoughts. -Blair


End file.
